Steering and control means for watercraft



April 1938- L. E. NORQUIST 2,114,112

STEERING AND CONTROL MEANS FOR WATERCRAFT Filed June 11, 1937 2 6 (V 1\HI :WWWL

I 24 r M 22 M W w M 25 wf 2/ nnnnnnn 26 26 g 20 I 20 m 26 fnvemor Lester.5 Mryzzz'fi Patented Apr. 12, 1938 PATENT OFFICE STEERING AND CONTROLMEANS FOR WATERCRAFT Lester E. Norquist, Denver, 0010.

Application June 11,

3 Claims.

This invention relates to watercraft of powerpropulsion type, and moreparticularly to the relatively larger constructions of such craft, andhas as an object to provide improved means for steering and controllingsuch craft when afloat.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means forsteering and controlling watercraft afloat independently of thelongitudinal motion of such craft.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved meansassociated with a ship or vessel and selectively operable toindependently or simultaneously move end portions of such craftlaterally through the water when afloat.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved meansassociated with a ship or vessel and selectively operable tosimultaneously move the end portions of such craft laterally in oppositedirections to alter the heading of such craft when afloat.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved meansassociated with a ship or vessel and selectively operable tosimultaneously move the end portions of such craft laterally in the asame direction to shift such craft laterally when afloat withoutchanging the craft heading.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved meansassociated with a ship or vessel and selectively operable, at times, assupplemental propulsion means for such craft.

A further object of the invention is toprovide improved steering andcontrol means for watercraft whereby such craft may be at all timespositively controlled and moved about in restricted areas independentlyof the normal craft propulsion means, which obviates many of thelimitations and disadvantages of conventional steering means, which issimple, positive and efficient in principle, which is susceptible ofpractical development in a wide variety of specific embodiments throughthe use of conventional apparatus, and which is readily adaptable toexisting and conventional watercraft.

My invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combinationof elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, anddiagrammatically illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in whichFigure 1 is a plan view, partly in section, of a conventionalized shipor vessel wherewith the invention is operatively associated, the centralportion of the craft being broken away to conserve space. Figure 2 is across section taken on the indicated line 22 of Figure 1. Figure 3 is afragmentary, detail elevation, on an en- 1937, Serial No. 147,729

larged scale, of a movable grid advantageously employed with theinvention. Figure 4 is a section taken on the indicated line 44 ofFigure 3.

In the construction of the improvement as shown, a ship or vessel isconventionally illustrated as comprising a hull portion In taperingdownwardly to a keel ll, tapering forwardly to a bow portion [2 andmerging rearwardly into a curved stern portion l3. The hull is providedwith a main deck I4 and such other decks, bulkheads, and the like, asmay be desired in a given construction. To give effect to the principlesof the invention, conduits or water channels l5 are disposed in pairedrelation transversely of the hull Hl adjacent the bow and the stern ofthe vessel and open at their respective ends through the hull walls wellbelow the water line of the craft. The conduits l5 may be of anyparticular size, construction, and cross-sectional conformation, as maybe deemed expedient or desirable and may be employed in such number andcombination of pairs as may be best suited to a particular craft, thearrangement shown being but typical of an operative installationwherethrough the principles of the invention may be practically applied.As illustrated, the conduits l5 are disposed in horizontal planes andwith their axes at an angle with the longitudinal axis of the vessel,the intake ends of the conduits adjacent the bow of the craft beingdisposed forwardly of their corresponding outlet ends and the inlet endsof the conduits adjacent the stern of the craft being disposedrearwardly of their corresponding outlet ends. The inlet end of eachconduit I5 is enlarged to open through the hull of the vessel in acircular port having an area considerably greater than thecross-sectional area of the conduit, and a suitable water wheel 16, ofpropeller type, is disposed in and for suction effect relative to eachintake port. The Wheels It may be variously arranged and connected forpower rotation relative to their respective ports, but each wheel i6 ispreferably fixed to the end of a shaft [1 which is journaled in andextends through a stuffing-box l8 carried on the wall of the conduit [5and is thence directly connected through a suitable coupling l9 andbearings 20 with the armature shaft of an electric motor 2| carriedwithin the hull of the vessel. The mounting illustrated is preferredbecause of the flexibility, compactness, selective control and immediateaction of the driven elements possible therethrough, and because of thefacility with which a water wheel may be removed and replaced in such anarrangement, but it is to be understood that the mounting and drivingarrangement shown is indicative of but one possible installation andthat the invention contemplates the use of other types of prime moversin driving relation with the water wheels H in such individual orcombined drive arrangements as may be operable to attain the functionshereinafter set forth.

As is clearly shown in Figure 2, the conduits iii in each pair may beconveniently disposed to cross each other without obstructing the freeflow of water therethrough by bends or offsets in said conduits, bypositioning one of the conduits above the other and by expanding theintake end of the lower conduit upwardly and that of the upper conduitdownwardly, so that the intake ports of the conduits are in alignmenttransversely of the vessel and consequently the mounting shafts I! ofthe water wheels it may be conveniently aligned as shown.

With an independent drive for each water wheel it, the usual motorcontrol panel 22 may be associated with each motor 2! and a remotecontrol panel 23 positioned on the control bridge of the craft forselective control of the motors 2i through their panels 22, as iswell-known practice within the skill of those competent in theelectrical field. While the conduits l5 are illustrated as provided witha single water wheel l6 disposed at the intake end of each conduit, itis obvious that the water wheel may be positioned at the outlet end ofthe conduit or at any desired location throughout the length of theconduit without in any way altering or modifying the operative principleof the invention, and that additional water wheels may be operativelyassociated with each conduit to supplement the effect produced by thesingle water wheel shown.

The intake ports of the conduits l5 should be suitably protected toprevent the entrance therethrough of flotsam, weeds, debris, and thelike, in a manner which will permit free access to the water wheel andits mounting and not unduly obstruct the flow of water to and throughsaid port. Various constructions may be employed to properly protect thewater wheels and to guard the conduit intakes, and one constructionsuitable to such purpose is illustrated as comprising avertically-disposed slide bearing 24 positioned on the hull it justforwardly of each intake port, and a grid assembly comprising aconnecting bar 25 engaged for vertical reciprocation in the slidebearing 2 and a plurality of fingers 26 fixed in uniformly-spacedrelation at their forward ends to the bar 25 and extending outwardly andrearwardly from said bar in trailing relation across v the intake port,the rear ends of the fingers 25 being free and spaced outwardly somewhatfrom the hull iii to permit weeds and foreign matter entangled in thegrid to slip rearwardly of said fingers and thus clear the grid duringforward travel of the vessel. A hoist line or cable 27 may be attachedto the upper end of the bar 25 to provide convenient means for movingthe grid assembly out of covering relation with the conduit intake whenit is desired to repair or replace a water wheel iii.

The invention is primarily concerned with directional and lateralcontrol of a vessel independently of longitudinal motion of the craftand of the propulsion means employed with the craft. Obviously, thecraft may be equipped with any suitable form or arrangement ofpropulsion means to initiate, regulate, and control its longitudinaltravel, and the operative principles of the instant invention areemployed in place of the conventional rudder or similar steering means.In effecting lateral and directional control of the craft, the waterwheels l6 may be selectively operated in various combinations forvarying results. With the arrangement shown, the craft may be movedbodily to the right without change in its directional heading throughsimultaneous operation of the water wheels I6 on the right hand side ofthe hull H], which operation draws water from the right hand side of thevessel through the conduits l5 served by said water wheels andestablishes a flow through said conduits for discharge at the oppositeside of the hull, thereby creating a suction effect adjacent the bow andstern on the right hand side of the hull and a pressure effect at theleft hand side of the hull, which effects combine to shift the craftlaterally to the right. To augment the result just described, the waterwheels l'6 on the left hand side of the hull may be simultaneouslyoperated to establish water flow from right to left through theirrespective conduits, and thus increase the suction and pressure effectsabove described. Shifting of the craft to the left without change of itsheading is accomplished by actuation of the water wheels H5 indirections opposite to those employed for the shift to the right. Changein the directional heading of the craft is had through selectiveactuation of the. wheels l6, either singly or in combination. Should itbe desired to alter the craft heading to the right, the forward waterwheel IE on the right hand side of the craft is operated to establish awater flow through its conduit from right to left of the craft, whichflow is productive of a suction effect adjacent the bow of the vesseland on the right hand side of the hull and a pressure effect alsoadjacent the bow of the vessel but on the left hand side of the hull,which effects combine to swing the bow of the craft to the right. A morerapid change of direction may be had through simultaneous operation ofwater wheels adjacent the bow and stern of the vessel and on oppositesides of the hull in a manner to produce simultaneous suction andpressure effects adjacent the bow and stern and on opposite sides of thehull, which effects are productive of a pivoting action on the vessel inthe water. From the foregoing it should be apparent that full lateraland directional control of the craft may be had through selectiveactuation of the water wheels I 6, even when the vessel has nolongitudinal travel or steerage way.

The invention has a further advantage in that it provides means operableto maintainv a degree of longitudinal motion of the craft when thenormal propulsion means are for any reason inoperative. This function ofthe invention derives from the angular disposition of the conduits l5relative to the longitudinal axis of the craft, and is made effectivefor forward travel of the craft through simultaneous operation of thewater wheels It on opposite sides of and adjacent the bow of the vessel,and for rearward travel of the craft through actuation of the waterwheels on opposite sides of and adjacent the stern of the craft. Ineither case, a flow of water is established through the conduits l5which acts to move the craft longitudinally away from the pressure areasdeveloped at the discharge ends of the conduits.

While the forward conduits [5 shown in the drawing are illustrated asspaced rearwardly somewhat from the peak of the vessel, it is to beunderstood that they. may be disposed with their intake ports openingclosely adjacent the prow of the craft and may be supplemented byadditional pairs of conduits related altitudinally and longitudinally ofthe craft in such number as may be expedient or desirable for a giveninstallation, the same being true for the installation adjacent thestern of the vessel.

The invention is of particular advantage in that it provides means forsteering and controlling a water craft at all times and irrespective ofthe longitudinal motion of the craft, thus permitting precise handlingof a vessel in restricted waters and crowded harbors where maintenanceof steerage way is impractical.

Since many changes in the specific form, construction, and arrangementof the elements shown and described may be had without departing fromthe spirit of my invention, and may in fact be necessary in adapting theprinciples of the invention to given installations, I wish to beunderstood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims,rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoingdescription.

I claim as my invention- 1. Lateral and directional control means forwater craft comprising a plurality of conduits arranged in pairstransversely of a vessel adjacent the opposite ends thereof and eachextending between and opening through opposite sides of the vessel hullbelow the water line thereof, the conduits in each pair being disposedwith their axes in spaced, parallel horizontal planes and oppositely anddiagonally traversing the vessel hull to cross on the longitudinalmedian line of said hull, enlarged intake chambers on and smoothlymerging with the ends of said conduits adjacent the corresponding end ofsaid hull and communicating through said hull by means of intake portsof diameters greater than those of their associated conduits, the intakechamber of the lower conduit being flared upwardly and that of the upperconduit being flared downwardly to center the intake ports of each pairof conduits on a common horizontal line perpendicular to thelongitudinal axis of the vessel, a water a wheel operatively associatedwith the intake chamber of each conduit to initiate and maintain waterflow through said conduit from one side of the hull to the other, andpower means individually associated with each water wheel for theselective actuation thereof in either direction of rotation.

2. Lateral and directional control means for water craft comprising aplurality of conduits arranged in pairs transversely of a vesseladjacent the opposite ends thereof and each opening through oppositesides of the vessel hull below the water line thereof, the conduitsconstituting each pair being disposed in adjacent, superposed,horizontal relation to oppositely and diagonally traverse the vesselhull between intake ports centered in a common vertical planetransversely of said hull adjacent the corresponding end thereof andoutlet ports centered in a common vertical plane transversely of saidhull and relatively more remote from the corresponding hull end,enlarged portions on the intake ends of said conduits, the enlargedportion on the lower conduit being flared upwardly and that on the upperconduit being flared downwardly to center the intake ports of saidportions on a common horizontal line transversely of said hull, a waterwheel journaled for rotation in bearings carried by said conduit intakeportion and vessel and disposed across the intake port of each conduit,and means associated with each water wheel for the selective actuationthereof in either direction of rotation.

3. Lateral and directional control means for water craft comprisingtransversely-aligned intake ports in the opposite walls and adjacent theends of a vessel hull and below the water line thereof, relativelysmaller outlet ports in the hull walls and spaced longitudinally fromsaid intake ports toward the midportion of the vessel, an intake chamberhousing cooperating with each intake port, a straight conduit of uniformdiameter operatively connecting each intake chamber with an outlet porton the opposite side of the vessel, whereby said conduits are disposedin crossed, paired relation adjacent the ends of the vessel, a waterwheel operatively associated with each intake chamber to initiate andmaintain water flow through its associated conduit, and means forselectively actuating said water wheels in either direction of rotation.

LESTER. E. NORQUIST.

